On Friday, November 20, Holland Ice Park reopens at Window on the Waterfront Park, 71 E 6th Street, for its second winter. The pond and the 700-foot skating ribbon come back on the same day the Kerstmarkt opens at 3 p.m. at the 8th Street Marketplace. The season runs through March 14, 2027, weather permitting, according to the City of Holland's season announcement.
The most useful date this winter is a ticket release date. Last year showed how quickly a 150-skater session fills, and the City now sells skating one month at a time. If you want to skate in December, the day that counts is November 16.
Last winter, sessions filled before the ice was even open
Ticket sales for the first season opened October 28, ahead of the November 2025 opening, and WZZM reported that the first session sold out in 36 minutes. When the park opened on November 14, 2025, WOOD TV reported that the first Friday night session was sold out, and that staff had capped each session at 150 skaters so people had room to skate freely.
The demand lasted all winter. By the end of the debut season, the City put the count at about 35,000 visitors on the ice, according to WZZM. In October 2026, WOOD Radio reported that more than 26,000 skating tickets had been sold since opening. Recreation Manager Kemri Hilton said the response had exceeded expectations. Those are two different counts, visitors and tickets, and the City has not reconciled them. Either way, the $11.2 million rink still caps each session at 150 skaters.
Holland Parks & Recreation is adding skating sessions, curling clinics and Learn to Skate classes for season two. Even so, the 150-skater cap and advance-purchase rule mean you still need to buy early.
The dates that open each month
Tickets go on sale in blocks. Each release covers one month of skating, and every ticket must be bought in advance online.
| Release date | What goes on sale |
|---|---|
| Friday, October 16, 2026 | Skating, November 20 to 30 |
| Monday, November 16, 2026 | Skating, December 1 to 31 |
| Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | Skating, January 1 to 31 |
| Saturday, January 16, 2027 | Skating, February 1 to 28 |
| Tuesday, February 16, 2027 | Skating, March 1 to end of season |
The City's Tickets & Reservations page says new tickets come out on the 16th of every month, and the schedule above is its version. The September announcement printed a mismatched date for the January release, so the reservations page is the one to check. As of this week, November tickets are already on sale, and the December block opens on Monday, November 16.
The WOOD Radio story described releases twice a month on Tuesdays. The City's own published schedule is the one above, and it is the schedule to follow.
What a ticket buys, and when the sessions start
A ticket costs $10, covers 90 minutes of skating and includes skate rental. You can bring your own skates, but you still need a ticket. The park is cashless, and spectators don't need tickets, so a parent watching from beside the ice doesn't need a spot.
The park is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays. The standard open-skate start times currently posted by Holland Parks & Recreation are:
- Tuesday through Thursday: 4 and 6 p.m.
- Friday: 4, 6 and 8 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m., noon, 12:30, 2:30, 3, 5, 5:30, 7:30 and 8 p.m.
- Sunday: noon, 12:30, 2:30, 3, 5 and 5:30 p.m.
The overlapping Saturday and Sunday times give weekends the most capacity. Weeknights offer two or three sessions, and all of them start at 4 p.m. or later. The City notes that times are not guaranteed and may change, so the booking page is the final word.
Weather is the other reason to watch the schedule, although it should matter less this year. On the day after the 2025 grand opening, warm temperatures and wind affected the ice, and the noon and 2 p.m. sessions and curling reservations were canceled, WZZM reported. WOOD Radio's October report says the facility's refrigeration can now hold skating conditions with temperatures in the 50s, which addressed the earlier problems with uneven ice.
Curling runs on its own calendar
Curling is booked separately from skating, and it starts later. Reservations open November 16, 2026, the same day December skating goes on sale, and the sheet is open from December 1 through February 28, 2027. Last year, curling was on the schedule from opening weekend. This year, the first ten days of the season are for skating only.
A reservation costs $100 to $125 for a 90-minute session and includes equipment. During the first season, WZZM listed curling at $75 to $125, so the lowest price is up $25 and the top price hasn't changed. Each booking covers up to eight people on a half-size sheet. Staff give a short introduction to the sport, and nobody wears skates on the curling sheet. For a group of eight, that works out to about $12.50 to $15.60 per person. That is close to the price of a skating ticket, and it reserves the sheet for one group.
Downtown's holiday dates line up with the rink's
The busiest days at the rink are also the busiest days downtown. Opening night shares a date with the Kerstmarkt opening, the second day of the season is Holiday Open House, and the Parade of Lights falls on the day curling begins.
| Date | Downtown event | Where the rink stands |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | Shop 'Til You Drop, 6 to 9 p.m. | One week before opening |
| Mon, Nov 16 | No event listed | December skating and curling reservations go on sale |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Kerstmarkt opens, 3 to 8 p.m. | Opening night |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Holiday Open House, 5 to 8 p.m.; Kerstmarkt 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Saturday sessions from 10 a.m. |
| Tue, Dec 1 | Parade of Lights, 6:30 p.m.; Dutch Winterfest begins, runs through Dec 5 | Curling sheet opens |
| Fri and Sat, Dec 4 to 19 | Magic at the Mill, 5 to 9 p.m. | Friday and Saturday evening sessions |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Shopping Jam, 8 to 11 a.m. | Saturday sessions start at 10 a.m. |
| Fri and Sat, Dec 18 and 19 | Final Kerstmarkt weekend | Holiday break schedule begins, with a 2 p.m. Friday session |
The Kerstmarkt runs Fridays from 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the 8th Street Marketplace, 150 W 8th Street at the corner of 8th and Pine, with free onsite parking. The Parade of Lights steps off at 8th Street and Columbia Avenue on Tuesday, December 1, and heads west on 8th to Holland Civic Center Place, the same 150 W 8th address. The rink runs a special Dutch Winterfest schedule December 1 through 5. On parade night, sessions start at 4 and 6:30 p.m., so the 4 p.m. session finishes before the parade steps off.
Magic at the Mill runs at Windmill Island Gardens on Friday and Saturday evenings, December 4 through 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. Farther east, Holidays on the Farm at Van Raalte Farm, 1076 E. 16th Street, is set for December 10 and 11, with timed evening entry and $10 admission. Both use timed or scheduled evenings, which makes them easy to plan around a skating reservation.
Parking, fireplaces and the walk to 8th Street
The City lists three parking options for the Ice Park:
- Diagonal spaces on 6th Street
- Two lots in Window on the Waterfront Park along Columbia Avenue
- The public parking deck off 7th Street
The park has three large fireplaces. On-site concessions sell snacks and drinks, and the City's Ice Park FAQ says no outside food or drink is allowed, except Social District beverages in the labeled cups. The facility connects to Holland's snowmelt system, so sidewalks stay clear for the walk to downtown shops and restaurants after skating.
Window on the Waterfront has another new facility nearby. The Holland Bike Park, at 97 N. River Avenue just north of the Unity Bridge, opened its 600-foot asphalt pump track on August 15, 2026. It has no parking lot of its own. The nearest one is about 1,500 feet south at north Window on the Waterfront, and the bike park sits directly off the Macatawa River Greenway Path, according to the City's Holland Bike Park page. Lighting, erosion control and landscaping are planned there this fall, with a pavilion and more skills areas projected for summer 2027.
The Ice Park's main pond is dedicated to Frank Kraai, a retired Holland school teacher whose $1.1 million gift helped fund the project, according to WOOD Radio. December skating and curling reservations both open on Monday, November 16, through Holland Parks & Recreation.
At Andrea Crossman Group, we follow the West Michigan lakeshore through winter as closely as we do in boating season. Put November 16 on your calendar, book a session on the Kraai pond, and Discover Lakeshore Living on the coldest nights of the year.
